These Nights
by IndigoGrapefruit
Summary: The members of the Z organization said that she was the nicest person they had ever met. But sometimes, the nicest people were the ones who hurt the most.


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Indigo's Corner  
Happy birthday _My Hopeless Romantic_. Be sure to send her your wishes and congratulate her on (finally) being legal.  
Now, Anna dear, all you have to do is learn how to drive. (:

**Disclaimer  
Disclaimed.**

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Back and forth… back and forth – the silent movements of the rocking chair.

Shiki stared at the sleeping woman in front of him. Her face was so serene that the only sign of life was the gentle heaving of her chest.

They could do better, he knew. With her abilities and his skill, they could definitely do better than Z. As it was, Z had put them in a room about the size of a one-star room in Alice Academy. The only insulation they had were panels of wood and the only pieces of furniture were two small, wooden beds; a drawer for clothes and possessions; and a rocking chair.

Yuka said it was cozy.

Shiki said it was crap.

But she took what she got, just like how she left her child in the hands of a stranger, just like how she cut off her hair – her silky hair that he once dreamed of running his fingers through.

The former, she did for her child.

The latter, she did for Kaoru.

Shiki wondered if Yuka would ever do anything for _him_.

Because, well, they were close. Really, they were. He had saved her life a decent number of times before. Of course, she had saved his just as many and he probably wouldn't even be this far without the Alices she inserted into his body. And he was always there for her when she needed someone's shoulder. And because he was living in such a – for a lack of better words – _crappy_ room because of this woman in front of him.

So, Shiki concluded, it would be nice for her to do something for him for a change.

She probably didn't know he watched her sleep every night, just in case those nightmares came back. He shuddered at the thought of having an Alice as dangerous as hers. It robbed her of her innocence. Now, even her dreams were haunted.

The members of the Z organization said that she was the nicest person they had ever met.

But sometimes, the nicest people were the people who hurt the most.

A strangled whimper left her lips.

Shiki immediately stood from his seat. In the speed of light, he was by her side with her hands clasped in his. He gently brushed his fingers over her knuckles. She flinched, and for a second Shiki's heart leapt at the thought of Yuka catching him in the act. But, much to his relief, she slept on. He flipped her hand over and traced the lines of her palm.

His fingers stopped at the end of her lifeline. Shiki peered into his once underclassmen's face and wondered how many scars she would get in her lifetime.

No, that wasn't right. Yuka was too pretty to be scarred. He would make sure that never happened.

"My babe, my babe…" She started shaking. "I want my babe…"

Placing a tender kiss on her forehead, he assured her with whispers, "it's okay Yuka. She's all right. She's all right."

But her shakes grew more violent and the intensity of her voice increased. "My babe! She's mine! Give me my babe!"

Shiki grabbed onto her shoulders to still her body. On the other hand, Yuka persistently clawed at his chest. Her sharp nails dug into his skin. It caused him to wince, but he held on.

"Stop hurting her!" the woman screeched before she grabbed the nearest thing and yanked.

Instead of being propelled forward, Shiki felt a violent force slam him against the other bed. Both hands immediately clutched his head, but the pain in his chest was much more immense.

"Oh." She finally woke up. "Oh. Shiki, I'm-"

As flipped her blanket over and stood, there were clatters.

"Oh my god, did I – did I do this to you?"

Stones of all different shapes and sizes were scattered on the ground. In one instant, in her _sleep_, no less, she managed to pull out every Alice she had ever inserted into him.

_She thought she was saving her child._

He was so dumbfounded that he did not even notice she had started inserting the stones back into his body. The pain in his chest slowly numbed and disappeared.

She had the last stone in her hand, one of a bright blue, and was about to put it in him. He grabbed her wrist to prevent her.

"Shiki–"

"Yuka."

He held out his other hand and closed his eyes. Everything he ever felt for her, he concentrated into one thought, into one place. He wanted this woman. He wanted her so much that no words, no actions could ever show the extent of this feeling. And he knew, when she risked everything to save her child – her lover's child – that she would never be his.

But he still had to try.

"Shiki-" she repeated, but he cut her off once again.

"Yuka." He placed the smooth stone into her palm. "If you insert that stone into my body, would you take this?"

"Shiki," her eyes were pleading, "you know I don't think of you that way."

There seemed to be a lump that magically appeared in his throat.

"Oh." He turned away. "Yes. I'm sorry." It was, after all, what he had anticipated.

She reached for him. "Do you still-"

"Keep it," he told her. "Keep them both. When you're ready, you can give it to me."

Today was the first time he laid on that wooden bed. It was as uncomfortable as he predicted it to be. He flipped and turned but he couldn't find a comfortable position to rest in. Plus, the pillow felt too hard and the blankets were too thin.

Barely hours from dawn, Shiki got up and settled for the rocking chair. He could see from here that there was a smile on Yuka's lips. She was probably dreaming of holding her babe in her arms. And maybe her child would have Yukihara's kindness and his charisma, but she would have her eyes and her courage and most importantly, her love.

And she would definitely grow up to be a heartbreaker.

Shiki chuckled at the thought.

The rocking chair swayed back and forth…back and forth… back and forth…

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**Drabble - ish. **

**Tell me what you think. (:**

**-IndigoGrapefruit**


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